Wagering game machine providing a write once run anywhere environment

Abstract

Systems and methods include determining a hardware configuration in accordance with the detection of the presence or absence of hardware modules on a wagering game machine. Various services are selected base on the hardware configuration, where the service selected provides an interface to a wagering game. The services provide an abstraction of various functions provided by various hardware platforms upon which the wagering game may execute, and take into account differences in the platforms.

1. A wagering game apparatus comprising:
 a processor operable to execute a wagering game application that presents a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered; and 
 a configuration module executable by the processor and operable to:
 determine a presence or absence of one or more hardware modules, the one or more hardware modules including a video display device; 
 determine a hardware configuration in accordance with the presence or absence of a rendering engine in the video display device; 
 select a first service from a plurality of services for use with the rendering engine in the hardware configuration determined to have the rendering engine present, and select a second service from the plurality of services for use with the hardware configuration determined to lack the rendering engine, the plurality of services each providing an interface to the wagering game application. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware modules include a field programmable gate array (FPGA). 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware modules includes a predetermined number of hardware modules. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the hardware modules include storage units. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the hardware modules include network interface cards. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware modules include memory and further wherein determining a hardware configuration includes determining a hardware configuration in accordance with a size of the memory. 
     
     
       7. A method of configuring a gaming machine, performed by a processor, comprising:
 determining a presence or absence of one or more hardware modules, the one or more hardware modules including a video display device; 
 determining a hardware configuration in accordance with the presence or absence of a rendering engine in the video display device; 
 selecting at least one service from a plurality of services in accordance with the hardware configuration, the plurality of services each providing an interface to a wagering game application that presents a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more hardware modules include a field programmable gate array (FPGA). 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more hardware modules includes a predetermined number of hardware modules. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the hardware modules include storage units. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the hardware modules include network interface cards. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more hardware modules include memory and further wherein determining a hardware configuration includes determining a hardware configuration in accordance with a size of the memory. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining the presence or absence includes determining a version identification for the one or more hardware modules. 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory machine readable medium having machine executable instructions for causing one or more processors of a gaming machine to perform a method, the method comprising:
 determining a presence or absence of one or more hardware modules, the one or more hardware modules including a video display device; 
 determining a hardware configuration in accordance with the presence or absence of a rendering engine in the video display device; 
 selecting at least one service from a plurality of services in accordance with the hardware configuration, the plurality of services each providing an interface to a wagering game application that presents a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered. 
 
     
     
       15. The machine readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more hardware modules include a field programmable gate array (FPGA). 
     
     
       16. The machine readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more hardware modules includes a predetermined number of hardware modules. 
     
     
       17. The machine readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the hardware modules include storage units. 
     
     
       18. The machine readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the hardware modules include network interface cards. 
     
     
       19. The machine readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more hardware modules include memory and further wherein determining a hardware configuration includes determining a hardware configuration in accordance with a size of the memory. 
     
     
       20. The machine readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein determining the presence or absence includes determining a version identification for the one or more hardware modules. 
     
     
       21. A wagering game system comprising:
 a first wagering game unit operable to execute a wagering game application that presents a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered, the first wagering game unit having a first video hardware module; 
 a second wagering game unit operable to execute the wagering game application that presents a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered, the second wagering game unit having a second video hardware module different from the first hardware module; and 
 a common operating system configured to be used by the first wagering game unit and the second wagering game unit, the common operating system configured to provide a first service when the first video hardware module is detected, and to provide a second service when the second video hardware module is detected, the second service being different from the first service 
 wherein the first video hardware module includes a rendering engine and the second video hardware module lacks the rendering engine. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second service includes a rendering service. 
     
     
       23. A method of operating a plurality of gaming machines, performed by a processor on each of the plurality of gaming machines, the method comprising:
 providing a common operating system on each of the plurality of gaming machines to execute a wagering game application that presents a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming machines includes a first video hardware module having a rendering engine, and at least one of the plurality of gaming machines includes a second video hardware module different from the first video hardware module; 
 determining the presence of the first video hardware module or the second video hardware module on each one of the plurality of gaming machines; 
 selecting a first service from a plurality of services for use with the first video hardware module in response to determining the presence of the first video hardware module; and 
 selecting a second service from the plurality of services for use with the second video hardware module in response to determining the presence of the second video hardware module, the second service being different from the first service. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second service includes a rendering service.